With enhanced editions hitting consoles later this week for the first time ever anda Baldur’s Gate 3 finally incoming,it’s time to talk about one critically important staple of the western RPG genre. Over 20 years after its creation and despite countless competitors cropping up over the decades, theBaldur’s Gatetrilogy is still among the greatest RPGs ever made.
The firstBaldur’s Gatereleased in 1998, withBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnfollowing in 2000 and the final chapterBaldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaalconcluding the trilogy’s arc. Set in popularDungeons & Dragonssetting the Forgotten Realms, theBaldur’s Gatetrilogy functions like a one-on-oneD&Dcampaign of epic proportions, with the game acting as Dungeon Master.
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Baldur’s Gateis the old passion project of BioWare, the studio behindDragon AgeandMass Effect. Love those more recent games? Well, they were made possible byBaldur’s Gateand the precedent it set as the first of its kind: a semi-open world RPG that put player choice at the heart of its narrative. When it debuted, nobody had seen anything quite likeBaldur’s Gate, even with games likeFalloutandDiabloreleasing around the same time. Even now in the time of near-lifelike graphics and gigantic interactive open worlds,Baldur’s Gate(particularlyShadows of Amn) should be remembered and replayed as the best of the best—and here’s why.
Baldur’s Gate’s stellar writing is perhaps the biggest reason that, for all its age, it still holds up beautifully today. Graphics become outdated, but good writing never does. And sure, the overarching story of the Bhaalspawn—the player character—is a narrative journey to treasure, surprisingly personal for having a plot with such a gargantuan scope, but it’s not just that. It’s everything: the companions and their enduring charm, the depth that even a side-quest offers, and the different ways that players can define their characters through interaction. Plus, these are the games that gave the worldMinsc and Boo. That, in itself, is a triumph.
Characters inBaldur’s Gateare a big part of how players form an emotional attachment to their playthrough. Besides the ever-lovable Minsc, there’s a whole cast to meet; it’s a formula that might sound familiar, butBaldur’s Gateis BioWare’s first foray into RPGs and the one that established its technique. Romances make their BioWare debut inBaldur’s Gate 2(another staple that stuck around throughout the company’s two major franchises), and while in many waysBioWare has refined its romancesin future games,Baldur’s Gateis still on par with them in terms of length and detail.
When it comes to creating a wide range of quests available to players, few games do it better thanBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnin particular. It’s one of those few examples of thesequel being better than the original: BioWare took everything that worked aboutBaldur’s Gateand poured it intoShadows of Amnwhile taking the narrative, and the player’s narrative choices, to an even greater scale. And inShadows of Amn, the variety in both quests and settings will keep any player on their toes. Saving a circus, retaking a castle from trolls, salvaging a talking sword thatreally wants to kill thingsfrom the sewers and drawing the ire of an ancient red dragon—and that’s all only in the first couple chapters of the game.
Then, there’s the sheer amount of things to do.Shadows of Amnhas the biggest map of the trilogy, and players could easily while away nearly 100 hours completing all of the quests they can find. No, it’s not thesize ofSkyrimby any means, but BioWare clearly made good use of the space it did have. Every explorable section of Amn is filled with with something interesting and worth the detour.
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TheBaldur’s Gatetrilogy is best enjoyed when players search for the little details, the things that make it truly an immersive experience. It’s all in squeak of a miniature giant space hamster, the little bits of banter to share with the party, the clever jokes andreferences to belovedD&Dlore. And of course, it must be said thatBaldur’s Gateleft computer gamers andD&Dplayers alike with one immortal lesson that rings true no matter the circumstances:You must gather your party before venturing forth.
In short,Baldur’s Gatesaved the western RPG. After the game’s release, it paved the way for otherD&D-based games includingPlanescape: TormentandNeverwinter Nights. In the long term, meanwhile,Baldur’s Gateis the reason modern RPGs likeThe Witcherseries (which had its first game built using theNeverwinter Nightsengine) andMass Effectwere possible. BeforeBaldur’s Gate, prospects for western RPGs were more or less nonexistant. AfterBaldur’s Gate, a wave of PC RPGs followed, establishing themarket for RPGs that still thrives today.
At a cursory glance, this trilogy might not look like it holds up today—but it absolutely does, because all of the things that made it truly special are timeless. TheBaldur’s Gatetrilogy deserves to be celebrated then, now, and another twenty years from now.
Baldur’s Gate 3is in development for PC and Google Stadia.
